The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Carrie by Lori Wilde Read Free Book Online Page B

this?”
    “Shut up and drive, before I change my mind.”
    He pushed his foot down hard on the accelerator, bulleting the VW past the Twilight city limits.
    Carrie clung tight to his hand. He looked over at her. God, he couldn’t believe it. He was going to be with her again. His heart kicked against his chest wall.
    It seemed to take forever to get to the Brazos River, but in reality it was only a few minutes. Neither of them spoke. The moon was just coming up as he turned down the road leading to the old wooden suspension bridge.
    Except the old bridge was no longer there. In its place stood a nice new stone footbridge.
    “What happened to the bridge?” he asked.
    “Long story.” Carrie waved a hand.
    “It’s all changed.” He felt confused by this new development. Disoriented.
    “A lot of things have changed. You’ve been away a long time.”
    It was true. He’d changed as much as the bridge. “I know,” he said huskily.
    They sat there in silence, and for a minute he thought she was going to call the whole thing off. He fully expected it. This was not a smart thing to do. He opened his mouth to say so but never got the words out.
    “The old pier is still there,” she whispered. They’d made good use of that pier more than once. “There’s a blanket in the back seat.”
    She opened the door and got out. He reached over the back seat, found the blanket and joined her in the darkness.
    The river flowed lazily toward Lake Twilight, moonlight glinting off the smooth surface. The air was cool and damp, but not uncomfortably so. Carrie trailed out toward the bridge and Mark rushed to keep up with her. He took her hand and guided her down the sloping embankment to the water. A vapor security light mounted on the side of the bridge shone a misty gray light.
    How many times had they come down to the water like this, hand-in-hand?
    Carrie wore snug fitting blue jeans that showed off her slender, curvy hips, a white T-shirt, tweed blazer, and cowboy boots. They could have been teenagers again, sneaking off to be alone.
    Beside the bridge, a wooden fishing pier extended into the water. Their boots clattered against the sturdy cedar. They’d jumped naked off this pier more times than he could count. But that had been in the hot summer months. Not in the chill of November.
    She took the blanket from his arms and bent to spread it out on an area of the pier that was cloaked in the shadow of the bridge. When she straightened, Mark pulled her close to him, felt the rapid thudding in her heart, and realized his heart was pounding just as hard and fast.
    They stood looking at each other in a silence as long as the new bridge, as wide as the years that separated them. Her hair had started to curl in the humidity. She smelled so good. He loved the way her body felt molded against his. As if she belonged there. As if he belonged to her.
    He wanted her. Oh yeah. He was harder than he’d ever been and he had no doubt that she could feel the strength of his desire, but he was content for the time being just to stand there savoring the moment.
    Her hand crept between them, her fingers crawling up to stroke the hollow of his throat, as if she couldn’t believe they were together again, her gaze locked with his. They breathed in the same air.
    It wasn’t just him. She was feeling it too!
    The magic. The past rushing to meld with the future. The truth of the sweetheart legend. He and Carrie. Meant to be together forever. It startled Mark how much he wanted it to be true. Was there a way to reconcile his old life with the new one?
    Carrie went up on her toes.
    Mark lowered his head.
    They met in the middle. A mutual kiss.
    He reached for her hands, laced their fingers together. She arched her back, pushed against him, her breasts pressing into his chest. He had to have her.
    Her teeth parted inviting him in.
    That ripped his control. He darted his tongue between those teasing teeth, kissed her with every ounce of passion that had